Plucking machine



March 18' 19 24.

1,487,45 G. BOESCH PLUCKING MACHINE 1 Filed July 14, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18 1924.

e. BOESCH PLUCKINGY momma Filed July 14. 1920 3 Sfieets-Shget 2 March 18 1924.

1,487,645 aaosscu PLUCKING MACHINE Filed July 14 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 18, 1924..

GUSTAV BQESCH, OF DANBUBY, CONNECTICUT.

PLUCKING MACHINE.

Application filed July 14, 1820. Seria1 No -396,269.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV Benson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of; Danbury, county of Fairfield, and State of;

Connecticut, have. invented anlmprovement in Plucking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to the art. of fur preparation, and witlrregard to its more specific featuresto apparatusfor plucking the projecting hair from far pelts or skins. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a fur plucking machine whichshall be simple and durable-in.construction, and. reliable in action. P

Another object is to provide a machine of. the above type which shallspeedily and ef-. fectively pluck the hair projecting from the. surface of the fur proper, without danger of damaging the fur.

Other objects will be in part obvious andin part. pointed out hereinafter.

The. invention accordingly consists in the features ofconstruction, combination-of elements and arrangement of parts which .will

he exemplified in the construetionhereinafter set fortli,-.and,the: scope of the application of which will, be indicated in the: following claims.

is shown one of .various possible embodiments of the several features .of this invention, V

Fig. 1 is a top .view'of my machine,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is afragmentary sectional view. taken along the line '33 of Fig.2, and

4 is asectionahview taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows the:ope rating members in. front view. 7

Fig. 6 is a detailedview showing the adjusting and locking means for my skin holding frame; and,

Fig. 7. is .adetailed view of certain of the clamping and locking members thereof.

Similar reference. characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

Referring now to. the, drawings and more particularly to Figs. land 2, I have shown a;base lforniy machine, preferably resting and 5.

In the accompanying drawings wherein onstandards 2. Rigidlygconnected' to the .top ofthe base, aresupports3, 4Yand 5,

which are. aligned to carry the power shaft .6, preferably. extending beyond" support 5 and having mounted ,upon said extension a pulley, 7. through which driving power may be applied.

The shaft is preferably. lodged in ball bearingsS (seegFig. 4.):within'supports 4 Rigidly mounted on shaftfi and extending into closeaproximity of the adjacent sides of supports 3..a nd 4, isan operating member 8, Thisoperatingmember (see Figs. 3

as shown in Fig. 3. Thepitch of eachblade is preferably such that vaplane through the axis of the operating nember andan endof any bladewill intersect. an, adjoining blade.

Thepurpose of this construction will appear more fully in the description ofthe operation below;

Integral with support 4, and extending upwardly along one side thereof isa-postl4 (see Fig; 4). A cover member 15, formedof a suitable single sheet or plate metal, extends along the otherside ofthe support 4 and is suitably secured tothe support 4 by means of screws 18. Thecover member 15 is bent so as to .form I a transversely extending element 17 extending across the top of the post 14, thus forminga rectangular compartment 19 between the said members. A journal box 20 having a ball bearing 21 thereinfor supporting the shaft 22 parallel to the shaft 6, is housed within the compartment 19. The shaft 22 -carries a roller 23, of any suitable resilient, material, adapted to contact with the blades .12 of the operating -member 8.

The above description with regard tothe support 4 and its detailedconstruction is applicable in substantially every detail to support 3, it.beingunderstoodthat-the shaft.

I the support by screws 28.

22 is supported within ball bearings 21 in turn supported in the journal box housed .within each support.

and employ means which prevent displacing shaft 22 out of parallelism with shaft 6.

For this purpose, I prefer to employ the following specific construction.

Secured to the top of each supporting member 3 and i, and extending between them, 1 provide a stationary bridging member 24, (see Figs. 2 and having legs 25, one resting on each of supports 3 and a, each leg being provided with a lug 26 for securing the bridging member to the top of The screws 28 extend through cover 17 into extension 14 and thus serve also to retain in position the housing or casing 15.

The legs are provided with longitudinally extending openings each adapted to receive a rod 32, which may take the form of a screw if desired, threaded into the journal box 20 for governing the position in the vertical plane of the shaft 22 with respect to the shaft 6. A spring 59 surrounds the journal box controlling rod 32 and abuts against the head 32' thereof and the cover member 17, thus tending to urge the controlling rod 32 with its attached j ournal box 20 in an upward direction.

I provide a secondary bridging member 33 (see Figs. 1 and superimposed upon the bridging member 24 and provided with downwardly extending rods 31 suitably secured thereto and adapted to enter the opening 30 see Fig. in the upright members or legs 25 and to contact with the upper ends of the controlling rods 32. A screw 34- provided with a winged head 36 extends through a centrally located opening in the secondary bridging or adjusting member and is threaded into the central portion of the bridging member 24-, the latter being provided with a boss for increasing the extent of the engaging threaded portions of the screw 3 1 and the bridging member 24-.

Manual operation of the screw 3% by means of the winged head 36 carries the adjusting bridge 33 with its associated rods 31 downwardly, the latter in contacting with the controlling rods 32 causing a like movement of the bearings 21 and the shaft 22 with its associated roller member 23. Thus the degree and intensity of contact of the roller 23 with the blades 12 of the operating member 8 may be manually adjusted and predetermined. It will thus be seen that the bearings 21 housed in the journal boxes 20 are reliably and dependably controlled by the adjustable bridging member 33 and that the mechanical connection between the journal boxes 20 and the adjustable bridging member is not only such that the positive adjustment of the journal boxes 20 and hence of the roller 23 with respect to the operating member 8 may be made to take place, but also is such that accessibility to the several parts for repair or replacement is materially enhanced. In this connection it may be noted that the adj List-- able bridging member 33 may be readily re.- moved simply by removing the adjusting screw 34 from the stationary bridging meniher 24s, whereupon the chambers or openings 30 are at once made accessible to permit ready access to the controlling rods 32 and associated parts.

Substantially enclosing the opera g membcr 8 and roller 23, I preferably provide a hair box 37 (see Fig. which comprises frame members 38 having an exhaust passage 39 and a hood 4O hingedly supported as at 4C1, to extend over roller 23, This hair box also includes a shield 42 secured as by aslotted extension 42 thereon to an upstanding lug 4A (see Fig. 2) on base 1 by means of the bolt 43. The shield 42 is thus adjustable in a vertical direction and is adjustable also about the axis of the bolt d3, su h adjustment permitting the upper edge 45 to be brought into the proper proximity to the edges 11 of the blades of the operating member 8. Any suitable means may be used to prevent air from entering between the rotating member 8 and the member 38 but preferably the hair box 37 is further provided with a member bolted to the extension 9% of one of the sides 38 of the box 37 by means of the bolt 91 passing through the elongated slot 93 of the member 90. This member 90 functions to further enclose the member 8 and to prevent excess air from entering be tween the lower blades of the member 8 and the lower side of the hair box 37.

To place the skin to be treated in proper relation to the operating elements, and to hold it there for treatment, I provide a'work carriage to be now described:

Two parallel rods 46 and 1-7 (see Figs, 1 and 2) are provided, extending transversely of base 1, one near each end of said base. rod d6 passes through corr-esponding opening in support 5, and rod 4-7 extends through a sleeve-like lug 77 cast upon base 1.

The base 1, is preferably provided with integral rearwardly directed extensions, near the ends of which are provided integral upstanding lugs 7 8 and 79, through suitable openings of which the rear ends of rods 4-6 and 47 respectively, extend. Each rodthus passes through two aligned openings of substantially the same size as the rod, and the rods are thus kept in proper parallel alignment.

Secured to the forward end of each red, I provide a fixture generally indicated in Fig. 6 at 46, only one of which need be described, as the two are identical. This the sleeves 49 of the two fixtures 46', there extends a transverse rod 50, more clearly shown in Fig. l secured at each end to one of said sleeves by a set screw 51 (see Fig. 6), the rod being thus rigidly bridged across the forward ends of the two main supporting and parallel rods 46 and 47.

Secured to rod 50, I provide a transverse attaching or supporting member 70, (see Figs. 1 and 7) for the skin .support, this member extending longitudinally of the rod 50 and having integral sleeves 54-and 55, one preferably at each end, through which the rod 50 passes. Opposite the sleeves 54 and 55 integral therewith and at right angles thereto there are provided socket members 54 and 55 respectively, within which extend the ends of the skin supporting member 52. This member is preterably formed of an integral strong steel rod, bent to have its two ends 52 and 52" para-llelto each other, and to provide -a skin supporting section 52 parallel to shaft 6. The parallel ends 52 and 52 respectively, fit within sockets 55 and 54 and are secured therein by set screws 80.

The elevation of the skin supporting rod 52, may be adjusted by rotation of the rod'52 with its auxiliary supporting member about rod 50.

To lock the skin supporting member with pelt supporting rod 52 at any desired elevation, I preferably provide the following means. re terrin particularly to Figs. 6 and 7 Centrally mounted upon rod 50, is a clamping fixture 64 more clearly shown however in Fig. 1. This fixture is preferably sleeved upon rod 50 as at 64 and'is secured thereto by set screws 65. Integrally with said sleeved portion and at right angles thereto, there is a. downwardly extending clamping plate 66, through which passes clamping screw 67, having an operating handle 68. Cooperating with the clamping plate 66, 1 preferably provide an extension 69 integral with and central of supporting member 70. and extending downwardlytherefrom in parallelism with clamping plate 66 rigidlyfixed to rod 50 as above described. an arcuate slot71, through which the clamping screw 67 passes. It will thus be seen that the elevation of the skin-supporting member 52 may be readily adjusted by ro- I provide the extension 69with.

tating the composite rod52 with the auxiliary supporting member 70 about the. transverse rod 50, and in Fig. 7 of the drawings these associated parts are shown in dotted line position to indicate more clearly the manner in which the adjustment may be brought about.

To arrange for moving the pelt toward or from the cutting element, I preferably attach a push strap construction 74 to the upwardly directed extensions 48 of fixtures 46, by means ot bolts 7 3.

The push strap consistspreferably of a transverse sheet metal member74, having integral end extensions 75, and 76, inclined toward eachother (see Fig. 1), a leather or cloth band '72 being attached to these extensions. For durability of construction each end of the cloth or leather member 72 is preferably overlapped as at 79, and a re-enforcing plate is provided on the exterior thereof'for clamping the member to the extensions, as by screws 78. The extreme ends of the member 74 are preferably curved inwardly as at 81, to avoid presenting any cutting edges to contact with the strap member 72. The-fiat upwardly directed extensions 48 to which the push strap construction is attached, are preferably provided with a series of aligned bolt openings '82 (see Fig. 6) to make possible the securing of this push strap construction to any pair of such openings in order to adjust the belt for convenient operation to persons of different height.

To compel return of the pelt holding construction to its original position,,I preferably encircle rods 46 and 47 with coil springs 83 and 84 (see Fig. 1) respectively, the rear ends of said coil springs contacting with lugs 7 8 and 79, respectively, and the forward ends contacting collars and 86 respectively, secured to the rods by set screws as shown at 87. The operator as is apparent may thus push the work carriage against the opposition of springs 83 and 84 throu h a. distance depending on the length of the fur on the skin, the spring when compressed limiting the approach of the skin holding member toward the stationary knife or the operator may control the inward movement of the work carriage with the pelt or skin supported thereon at will, as will be readily apparent. Thus, in Fig. 1 the parts thus moved inwardly toward the operative mechanisms are shown in dotted line position.

It will be noted also that collars 85 and 86 limit the return movement of the carriage to the inoperative position, by contact one with support 5 and the other with sleevelikelug 77.

The operation of'my machine is substantially as follows:

The operator having adjusted the position of push strap 72, to suit his height, by securing bolts 7 3 in the proper openings 82, he ad usts the skin supporting rod 52 to the proper height by loosening the single clamping screw 67, rotating the skin supporting member 52 with supporting mem-.

'bers 70, (which rotation, it will be understood. swings about the rod also the clownwardly extending plate 66 with respect to the relatively fixed extension 69) about rod 50 until the proper height is reached and then tightening clamping plate 66 to extension 69, of the member 70, by controlling the clamping screw 66 by means of handle 68. No care need be taken in this adjustment to maintain the pelt supporting rod in parallelism with the stationary knife, as this 'is inherently insured by the manner of mounting.

The operator, having placed the pelt to be treated upon the pelt supporting rod 52, with the fur extending toward the operating members 8 and 23, then presses with his body against push strap 72 until the skin comes into proper proximity to the operating members as shown in Fig. He then draws the pelt back and forth across rod 52.

The shaft 6 being set into rotation at a high rate of speed in the counter clockwise direction shown in Fig. 3, a substan-.

7 member, the hair will be pulled upon sufli-.

' ciently before the blade comes out of contact with the roller, to pluck out the hair which has been gripped.

Since the pitch of the blades is such that before any blade has cleared the roller the subsequent blade comes into contact with said roller. it is seen that the plucking action is continuous and that the roller is set into continuous rotation by said operating ill member 8 at substantially the same rate as said operating member, but 111 the oppos te direction of rotation.

In some of the claims I use the term locus of operation of a blade. By this term I designate the surface of revolution generated the operation of the blade.

As any blade clears the roller member 23, the centrifugal force exerted upon the adjoining air by the high rate of rotation of the operating member, brings about automatic removal of any hair clinging to the blades.

When the blades or the roller, or both, have become worn to such an extent as to cease to exercise sufficient gripping action upon the hair to be plucked, it is merely necessary to tighten screw 34 (see Fig. 2). This tightening action will move bridging member 33 downwardly, and with it rods 32 and their attached journal boxes 20, whereupon the proper pressure between the members will be restored. If it is desired to gain access to roller 23, hinged hood 4:0 need merely to be turned back.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied,"

which apparatus in its action attains the variousobjects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shewn in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretec as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1.1n apparatus of the character described, in combination, a resilient rotatable member, a second cooperating rotatable .iember, means for positively driving one of said members, and means associated with said second member adapted and formed to effect substantially uninterrupted gripping and plucking of hair by cooperation with said first member, said latter means operating to transmit a continuous driving force from said positively driven member to said other member.

2. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a roller member, a cooperating rotatable member, means for positively driving said latter member, and means on said latter member for transmitting a continuous driving force to said roller member, said means in cooperation with said roller, operating to pluck hair.

In apparatus of the character described, .in combination, a cylindrical roller member having a yielding surface, a cooperating rotatable member having an axis parallel to that of said roller member and carrying operative members spaced angularly from one another in any plans taken transversely to the axis of said rotatable member, said operative members having edges adapted upon rotation of said rot-at-able member to generate a cylinder continu ously tangential to said roller member, thereby to permit one of said rotatable mem: bers 'to be continuously driven from the other, and means for driving one of said rotatable members, said operative members ooacting with saidroller member. to grip and pluck hair presented therebetween.

4. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member having a plurality of blunt blades, and a roller tangential to thelocus of said blades, androtatable with each blade as said blade contacts therewith, the subsequent blade contacting said roller prior to clearance thereof by the preceding blade.

5. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member having aplura-lit-y of blunt helical blades, and a roller'tangential toithe locus of said blades, meansf-or driving saidarotary operating member, whereby said roller is driven by contact with said blades, the blades havinga pitch, to cause any blade to contact said roller prior tocle-arance thereof by the previous blade.

6. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, two rotatable memhere, means. for positively rotating one of said members, and meansassociated with one of said members adapted to make continuous contact with and thereby to rotate the other of said members; and acting to bring about a draft to draw hair between said members to permit plucking thereof.

7. In apparatus of zthe character described, in combination, a rotary operating member, a roller, a hair box having an inner surface in close proximity to the path of said rotary member, means for positively driving said operating member, said operating member having means continuously touching said roller to grip hairat said touching points.

8. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member having aplurality of. blunthelical blades,.and a roller tangential to the locus of said blades, meansfor driving said rotary operating member, whereby said roller is driven by contact with said blades, the blades having a pitch, to cause any blade to contact said roller prior, to clearance thereof by the previous blade-and a hair box having an inner surface in close proximity to the path of said blades.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, aframe member having two oppositely disposed supports each provided with a guideway, arotary operating member rotatably supported by said frame, a. journal box slidablymounted in each of said guideways, a second rotary member supported in said journal boxes and adapted to coact with said first-mentioned rotary member, a housing associated with each of said supports and extending in substantial alignment with said -guideway, a controlling member slidably mounted ;in each of said housings and. engaging atgitS lower end one of said journal boxes, each of said controlling members being ofless-longitudinal extent than itsassociate d housing,

a bridging member extending across said two supports and having atits respective ends a projection extending sl-idably into one of said housings and engaging the controllingmember therein, and means detachably mounting said bridging member with respect to saidisupports to permit removal thereof and adapted also to permit said bridging member tobe adjusted toward or away from said housings.

10. :In apparatus of the character described, in comb1nat1on,a frame member having .two oppositely disposed supports each provided with a guideway, a rotary operatingmember rotatably supported by said, frame,- a journal box slidably mounted in each of said gu deways, a: second rotary member supported in said journal .boxes and adapted to coact witlrsaid firstinentioned I rotary member, a housing associated with.

mounted within said housing and acting upon said controlling: member to move said member with its associated journal boxz outwardly toward the open end of said housing, abridging member extending across sa d supports and having; at its respectiveends-a projecting member adapted to extend in- -wardly into one of said housings to engage the upper end of said controlling member, and means for ad ustlng said bridging member toward oraway from said housing to op pose the action. ofsa-id spring, means or to permit said springineans to movesa-id controllingmembers toward the, open endsof said housings.

11.,In apparatus of the character described, in combination,;a rotary! operating .member, a roller cooperating therewith,

journal-boxes for saidirolle'r, a bridging member carrying saidjournal boxes, fixed member, a single member for adjustably. securing said bridging to said fixed member,

and means toinsure adjusting movement of said roller parallel to itself.

12. In apparatus of the character descri'bed incombination, a rotary operating vmember, a roller cooperating therewith,

journal boxes for, said roller, a i bridging member carrying said journal boxes, aifixed member, and; asingle screw member for adjustably: securing Isaid bridging to said fixed member.

13. ln apparatus of the character desired, in combination, a rotary operating mem er, a r ll r co p ting t r with, journal boxes for said roller, a f xed bridglll) ing member, a second bridging member carrying said journal boxes, and a single means for adjustably securing said second to said fixed bridging member.

14:. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member, a' roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, a fixed bridging member, a second ridging member carrying said journal boxes-in the guideways provided therefor, and a single means for adjustably securing said second to said fixed bridging member said bridging members having cooperating means to guide movement of said roller parallel to itself.

15. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member, a roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, a bridging member comprising two parallel rods perpendicular to said roller, one connected to each said journal box, and a cross member connecting said rods, a fixed bridging member having paths for said rods, and a single means for adjustably securing said first tov said fixed bridging member.

16. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member, a roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, tracks for permitting adjustment of the elevation of said journal boxes, upwardly extending vertical rods, one secured to each journal box, a fixed bridging member, having two tubular openings, one for each said rod, a cross member connecting said rods, and a single screw means for adjustably securing said cross member to said fixed bridging member.

17 In apparatus of" the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member, a roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, means cooperating with a pair of bridge members for adjusting the pressure of said roller against said operating member, and spring means for relieving said pressure.

18. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary operating member, a roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, a single means cooperating with a pair of bridge members for adjusting the elevation of said roller in one direction, and spring means opposing said last means.

19. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a plurality of sup ports, a rotary operating member journalled in said supports a roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, tracks in said supports to permit adjustment of said journal boxes, a member bridging and secured to said journal boxes, spring means pressing against said supports and said bridging member to urge said roller upward, and a single means for adjustably securing said bridging member relative to said supports.

20. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a plurality of supports, a rotary operating member journalled in said supports, a roller cooperating therewith, journal boxes for said roller, tracks for permitting adjustment of the elevat on of said journal boxes, upwardly extending vertical rods, one secured to each journal box, a fixed bridging member, having two tubular openings one for each said rod, a projection on each rod, a spring extending within said tubular openings and between a support and a projection, a cross member connecting said rods and a single screw means for adjustably securing said cross member to said bridging member.

21. In a machine of the class described, in combination a frame, having a pelt holding element, and a single means for adjust- 7 with respect to the locus of operation of said element, and means for adjustably positioning and locking said mountingmeans to permit adjustment of the position of said pelt-holding member with respect to the locus of operation of said element, thereby to maintain said parallel relation.

24. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a hair operating element, a pelt holding member parallel to the locus of operation of said element, and means to permit adjustment of the position of said pelt holding member about an axis parallel to itself.

25. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hair-operating element, a pelt-holding member, a frame movable toward or away from the locus of operation of said element and along a predetermined path, a shaft rigidly mounted upon said movable frame and having its axis parallel to the locus of operation of said hair-operating element, and means pivotally mounted upon said shaft and adapted to be adjustably swung about the axis thereof for supporting said pelt-holding element in parallelism with said shaft.

26. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hair-operating element,-a pelt-holding rod,--a frame movable toward or away from said hair-operating element and along a predetermined path and including a shaft rigidly supported by said movable frame, the axis of said shaft being parallel to the locus of operation of said element, an auxiliary frame member pivotally mounted upon said shaft and adapted to be angularly displaced about the axis of said shaft with respect to said movable frame, means for locking said two frames together, and means mounting said pelt-holding rod upon said auxiliary frame and in parallel relation with respect to the axis of said shaft.

27. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a hair operating element, a frame including a pelt holding rod, the latter being parallel to the locus of operation of said element, means to permit adjustment of said frame about an axis parallel to said rod, and a unitary clamp to lock said frame in its adjusted position.

28. In a machine of the class described, in combination, hair plucking means, including a rotary member having a plurality of blades, a frame including a pelt holding device, the latter parallel to the locus of said blades, a rod supporting said frame and about which said frame may be adjusted, a clamping plate apart from said frame, and a device for clamping an element of said frame to said clamping plate.

29. In a machine of the class described, in combination, hair removing means including a rotary member having a plurality of operating blades, a frame including a pelt holding device, the latter parallel to the locus of said blades, a rod supporting said frame and about which said frame may be adjusted, a clamping plate apart from said frame, an extension on said frame, a clamp passing transversely of said clamping plate and said extension, one of said latter elements having an arcuate path through which said clamp extends to permit adjustment.

30. In a machine of the class described, in combination, hair removing means, a work carriage including a rod, a pelt holding frame disposed about said rod for rotatable adjustment, a clamping plate rigid with said rod, and unitary means for clamping an element of said frame to said clamping plate.

31. In a machine of the class described, in combination a pair of hair operating members, a work carriage including a rod, a frame disposed about said rod for rotatable adjustment, a clamping plate rigid with said rod, an extension on said frame, a clamping screw passing through said clamping plate and said extension, and an arcuate slot in saidv extension, through which said screw passes to permit adjustment.

32. In a pelt holdi-ng frame, a transverse attaching member having integral sleeve members at its ends, adaptedto slip over a supporting rod, sockets transverse of said sleeves for securing the pelt holding element, and a transverseextension on said men'iber adapted to permit adjustment of said pelt holding element with respect to said supporting rod, substantially midway between said sleeves.

33. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means for operating on the hair of apelt, a frame having a pelt holding element, a shaft about which said frame may be adjusted for fixing the height of said element, a non-rotatable member, a single means for locking said frame against rotation to said member, and means for permitting sliding of all said members as a unit to place the pelt in proper proximity to said hair operating means.

34:. In a machine of the class described, in combination, hair plucking means, a frame having a pelt supporting element, a lever for adjusting the height of said supporting element relative .to said hair plucking means, means to change the distance between said hair plucking means and said supporting element, and means to prevent change in the direction of said supporting element.

35. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a rod, a frame mounted thereon for rotary adjustment about the axis of said rod, a pelt supporting element on said frame, and means for longitudinally moving said rod in a direction substantially perpendicular to its length.

36. In a machine of the class described, incombination, hair plucking means, a rod,

a frame mounted thereon for rotary adjust;

ment about the axis of said rod, means for securing said frame with respect to said rod in any position of rotary adjustment. means for longitudinally pushing said rod in a direction substantially perpendicular to its length to cause the pelt to approach said plucking means, and means to cause said rod to return when no longer pushed.

37. In a machine of the class described, in combination, hair plucking means, a pelt support-ing frame, guide means to prevent any rotation of said frame about a vertical axis, a push strap for longitudinally moving said frame tobring the pelt in the path of said plucking means, and means to adjust said push strap for persons of different heigh 88. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hair-operating element, a frame movable toward or away from the locus of operation of said hairoperating means, a pelt-supporting member mounted upon said; frame and movable therewith adapted to present said pelt to said hair-operating element, a transversely extending member associated with said frame adapted to be engaged by the body of the operator thereby to move said frame with said peit moving element toward or away from said hair-operating element, and

means for adjusting said transversely ex- 10 tending member with respect to said Inevable frame to adjust said member for pername to this specification this first day of 15 July, 1920.

GUSTAV BOESCH. V 

